Cost of rewiring a 2 / 3 bed terraced house

[shagster]

Am I the only one that thinks 27 double sockets (excluding the kitchen) in a 2/3 bed house is odd/overkill?

For 3-bed with lounge and kitchen/diner that's about 5 in each room, i.e. one in each corner and one either side of the door (if the door is in a corner). Definitely not overkill unless there's only one way you can arrange your furniture. I actually read somewhere on some self-build site that the ideal is two doubles in each corner. Bear in mind loads of people want to charge laptops, mobiles etc.. and they might want to do that wherever they are sitting.

Thanks for the reply. I asked this so that I could kinda work backwards i.e. work out the cost of materials and then I would have a fair idea as what they were charging me on a daily rate.

Yes, that's what people often do, however you're comparing apples with oranges. I'm not in the trade and I don't have a huge amount of sympathy for what sparks charge for a rewire, as it's twice what I get paid, but in their defence this is normal in the business. Either you want a fixed price or you want a day rate. Either you take the risk or you pay the money. If you are absolutely certain you want a fixed price then there is little point getting upset when you do the sums.

I believe you will save money in your situation by paying a day rate unless you're really unlucky, that's all I'm saying.

Good luck!
S.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I don't have a huge amount of sympathy for what sparks charge for a rewire, as it's twice what I get paid, but in their defence this is normal in the business.

I hope you never need a solicitor

 

[shagster]

I don't have a huge amount of sympathy for what sparks charge for a rewire, as it's twice what I get paid, but in their defence this is normal in the business.

I hope you never need a solicitor

Last time I paid a solicitor it was £90 for 30 minutes. You charge whatever rate the market allows if you are in business, at least if you have any sense!

 

[flameport]

I'm not in the trade and I don't have a huge amount of sympathy for what sparks charge for a rewire, as it's twice what I get paid

The price the customer pays and what the person doing the job actually gets paid are two totally different things.

 

[Adam_151]

I'm not in the trade and I don't have a huge amount of sympathy for what sparks charge for a rewire, as it's twice what I get paid

The price the customer pays and what the person doing the job actually gets paid are two totally different things.

To put a little perspective on what flameport is saying, generally the guys wage will be roughly equal to half of what you pay after the following is taken into consideration:

Scheme membership (& time to be inspected), insurance, tools (& replacement/maintenance of), test meters (and calibration of as well as batteries and test leads/clips), holiday pay, van (& fuel & tax & MOT & maint, etc), paperwork, quoting for jobs, keeping qualifications upto date, etc.

If you go and ask a reasonable priced contractor for their hourly rate for dayworks jobs, take the above into account and then work out roughly what the guy will take home, you'll find it just slightly above UK average wage which you can't really be-grudge for a skilled trade which takes years to master...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I don't have a huge amount of sympathy for what sparks charge for a rewire, as it's twice what I get paid

But do you work for somebody who contributes to your pension?

Do you work for somebody who will pay you if you are off sick?

Do you work for somebody who will pay you when you are on holiday?

Do you work for somebody who provides you with an office, and/or transport, and/or any tools or equipment you need?

Do you work for somebody who deducts all your tax & NI etc so that you don't need an accountant?

Do you work for somebody who pays you without you having to submit an invoice?

Do you work for somebody who pays for any training you need?

 

[shagster]

To put a little perspective on what flameport is saying, generally the guys wage will be roughly equal to half of what you pay after the following is taken into consideration:

I think all you guys are missing the point.

I can get a guy on 160/day, qualified, who's got work on (i.e. not desperate) and no mention of cash, or I can get a quoted 5-day job for 2250. How are you going to convince me that the quoted rewire is not a nice little earner? The customer pays because that's the market rate for that kind of quoted work. I said I didn't have a lot of sympathy, note that I never stated that electricians, in general were overpaid.

So what are you saying about this 160/day spark, that he's some kind of idiot? That he's doing me a favour? That he's going to be out of pocket if I take him on?

Do please explain.

regards,
S.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think all you guys are missing the point.

And I think you should just go away, as there is clearly nobody here telling you what you want to hear.

 

[james3587]

Hi,
Ive just signed up to post one small (maybe not) message because i have to get it off my mind or i wont sleep. Ive never posted on a forum before and im not that good with computers but I came on this site via google for a bit of advice on wether i could fit an unvented cylinder myself, which as i thought, i cant without all the hassle of getting the LA to sign it off, so il get a plumber in. Im a chippy by trade and mainly do kitchens, bathrooms and loft conversions and the cylinder is to be for a flat ive just brought which needs renovating.

The issue ive got is while going through different threads i kept on seeing posts by this guy ban-all-sheds. Im sure he gives good advice from time to time and hes been 'thanked' a couple thousand times however that works. BUT that advice must of been squeezed in between all the times hes belittled, berated and basically made to feel unwelcome anyone who disagrees with him or asks a daft question. and some are daft... but theres a way of responding.

Ive met people like him before. Too much time on his hands and a know it all attitude. Dont know if hes a builder/spark whatever but if he is cant imagine hes doing to well judging by how much he posts.

Im really trying to get this point across as nicely as i can because believe me it takes all my effort to write this without what people could take as trolling. Ive seen a couple of times hes said to new posters 'ur not welcome here' or something along those lines and really some of the regular posters should put him in his place.

So thats it really ive had my rant, im under no illusions it wont change his attitude but i feel better. I probably wont reply to ur response because im not on the computer often but look forward to reading it when I have chance. This is a good resource for people and everyone deserves a bit of respect even people asking questions u think have obvious answers. So sort it out b.a.s cause frankly its pathetic.

James

 

[EFLImpudence]

The issue ive got is while going through different threads i kept on seeing posts by this guy ban-all-sheds. Im sure he gives good advice from time to time

No, all the time.

BUT that advice must of been squeezed in between all the times hes belittled, berated and basically made to feel unwelcome anyone who disagrees with him or asks a daft question. and some are daft... but theres a way of responding.

There you go.

Ive met people like him before. Too much time on his hands and a know it all attitude. Dont know if hes a builder/spark whatever but if he is cant imagine hes doing to well judging by how much he posts.

I don't think it applies - but he could be disabled, housebound, bedbound, retired wealthy or anything similar.
I feel you are being just as disrespectful as you are accusing him.

Im really trying to get this point across as nicely as i can because believe me it takes all my effort to write this without what people could take as trolling. Ive seen a couple of times hes said to new posters 'ur not welcome here' or something along those lines and really some of the regular posters should put him in his place.

It's an internet forum. You can find far worse with very little searching.

So thats it really ive had my rant, im under no illusions it wont change his attitude but i feel better. I probably wont reply to ur response because im not on the computer often but look forward to reading it when I have chance. This is a good resource for people and everyone deserves a bit of respect even people asking questions u think have obvious answers.

Some people do not deserve respect.

So sort it out b.a.s cause frankly its pathetic.

I am sure you have changed his outlook completely.

You mustn't let things like this get you down.

 

[seasickstevie]

I think the point is, the OP wants to be told that (s)he can get the job done cheaper.
This may be possible. But it is also possible that the quotes are reasonable.

The last rewire I did which was a house not dissimilar to a 3-bed, took a total of 17 days (8-hour days) not including the plastering.

Maybe I'm slow, maybe I do a good job, maybe it wasn't straight forward - concrete floors etc.
Maybe it was all these things. But the point is, not all jobs are necessarily as you would predict.

And regarding you comments on are beloved BAS.
I don't know him anymore than you, but to suggest that because someone has got, as you put it "time on their hands" so therefore "cant imagine hes doing to well"(sic).
He could of course be doing terribly well, that's why he's got 'free time'.
He may have inherited wealth. He may have won the lottery. He may have a successful business that his team of managers run for him. Or he may be retired. But then again he may be disabled and not able to work. But using the "time on his hands" card is a little presumptuous and narrow minded.

 

[shagster]

No, all the time.

No, not all the time. In what way is telling someone to go away good advice? I wasn't posting here for his sake, I was posting for the OP.

 

[DaftPunk]

You're moaning about hard working electricians earning a living and selectively answering questions which suit your agenda. You are adding nothing to the thread, so telling you to go away is great advice.

Now if only you'd heed it...

 

[shagster]

You're moaning about hard working electricians earning a living

I did no such thing.

and selectively answering questions

Did I? Which questions did you want me to answer? Would you like me to list 20 benefits to being self-employed over salaried? I could have, but didn't because, as I said earlier that wasn't my point.

which suit your agenda.

My agenda was to answer the OPs question. What's your agenda?

You are adding nothing to the thread, so telling you to go away is great advice.

Ironic thing to say, don't you think, as I answered the OPs question and few others seemed interested in doing so.

 

[shagster]

The last rewire I did which was a house not dissimilar to a 3-bed, took a total of 17 days (8-hour days) not including the plastering.

Mate, if it took 17 days, it took 17 days. I can only say what I saw, that I saw a spark do my place in in 5 days when another spark quoted 3000 quid for the same job. I had core-drilled the extractor fan hole, removed all cables and removed all floor boards and all ceilings down except upstairs. No concrete floors and all cable runs straightforward. My point was about differences between daily wages and *some* quoted jobs. Can't speak for all of them, of course. If it's tricky, it's tricky.